FOR THE FIRST time, Michael V stars in a weekly GMA-7 sitcom that he himself conceptualized: “Pepito Manaloto.” Under the direction of Bert de Leon, the sitcom essays the almost true-to-life story of protagonist, Pepito, a simple man who dreams of providing a comfortable life for his wife, Elsa (Manilyn Reynes), and their only son, Jonjon (Joshua Pineda).
Pepito regularly bets in the national lottery and, one morning, finds himself the lone winner of P700 million! Into his new life as a multimillionaire enters Maricar (Carmina Villarroel), who, along with financial analyst, Tommy Diones (Ronnie Henares), offers to manage his fortune. The sitcom follows how Pepito handles the sudden reversal of fortune.
Michael V asserts that the concept of the show, which premieres on March 20, is not to entice people to gamble, but to impart a reminder that, when someone is given an opportunity to improve his life, he has to make the most of it.
We hear stories of poverty-stricken people winning a lot of money, then losing all of it and becoming poor again. It’ll be interesting to see if Pepito suffers the same fate. There will be many situations for viewers to learn from – and a lot of laughter, as well.
